By the Sword
by Miss Kagura
Summary: Live by the sword, die by the sword." After Inuyasha's untimely death at Sesshoumaru's hand, Kagome is forced to embrace a lifestyle she never wanted, only to find a future and a goal she wants more than anything. SessKag.
1. Chapter 1

Sesshoumaru watched his nephew for almost an hour before he made any move toward the little hut. From the shadows, Sesshoumaru realized quickly that person who would be most affected by what took place was Kyo, who lost his father and his protection. While Sesshoumaru didn't know the boy at all, and had remained very distant from his brother, he felt a stab of guilt.

No one knew what had happened, but in less than eight hours, Myouga sought him out and called him to the village, where Inuyasha had lost his mind completely. Even with Tessaiga in his grasp, Inuyasha had no recognition of his friends or even his own wife and son. The battle that ensued had been indescribably emotional and violent.

Sesshoumaru took Inuyasha's life, just as he told his brother he would do. There was a time when Sesshoumaru was very serious about that promise, but as they forced a shaky peace during Naraku's reign of terror, the meaning of that promise changed to the idea that no one but Sesshoumaru was allowed to take Inuyasha's life. He had protected Inuyasha more than once, only to make good on that vow when he no longer wanted it. It was an empty, horrible victory that made him feel hollow.

The village was nearly completely destroyed. Not one hut stood untouched by Inuyasha's rage, and bodies lined the street. Survivors cowered indoors, hoping the maniacal hanyou didn't return for a second round of carnage.

Sesshoumaru approached what was left of the hut slowly.

That was the first time Kyo had seen his uncle up close – covered in blood and dirt, grim expression painted on his face. Since Kagome told him Inuyasha went crazy because of his demon blood, which was only half of his blood, Kyo stared up at Sesshoumaru and trembled. Sesshoumaru had nothing in him but that demon blood, which frightened him.

Sesshoumaru walked past the boy without even looking down and entered the hut, where Kagome sat on a mat on the floor, sensing and dreading his approach.

The person who sent Myouga to find him had been none other than his brother's wife. She was strong, but even Sesshoumaru was surprised Kagome had the courage to pull the proverbial trigger on her own husband's life. Neither doubted that Inuyasha would have wanted for someone to kill him if it ever came down to it, and once, Inuyasha alluded to that subject while he was sparring with Sesshoumaru.

She stood to her feet, feeling an intense mixture of appreciation and hate. "Is it over?"

"Yes," he answered, almost as quietly.

For a few seconds, Kagome was completely still. Then, she collapsed forward and braced herself by his cracked armor, sobbing hard. Her husband of eleven years was dead, and she honestly couldn't have cared less about Sesshoumaru's feelings on physical proximity. Waves of grief crashed inside of her, followed by guilt and indescribably pain.

Sesshoumaru didn't even move, because in some way, he felt he deserved to see and experience that moment. It was his Bakusaiga that scored the final blow, a fact he felt might haunt him.

He closed his eyes and remembered looking down at Inuyasha's face while Bakusaiga protruded from his chest. Blood gushing everywhere, Inuyasha came to his senses during those last few seconds because Bakusaiga neutralized his demonic aura. He asked Sesshoumaru for a favor Sesshoumaru had no intention of honoring, which made him feel even more guilt.

After a few minutes, Kagome sniffled hard and took a deep breath. "It's what Inuyasha would have wanted."

Sesshoumaru nodded left the village, looking back just in time to see his eleven-year-old nephew and his sister-in-law crying into each other's arms. He didn't know what was going to happen to either of them, and while he hadn't cared up until that day, he felt a sharp tug, as if he didn't want to just turn his back on them and leave, even though he did.

Before he disappeared into the trees, he reached for Tenseiga and swung once, not bothering to look back at the village. Every life Inuyasha took had a combined value of zero to Sesshoumaru, and Tenseiga didn't compel him to do it. He did it because Inuyasha never intended for any of that to happen.

Back in the village, confusion, fear, and anger raged. Some people weren't sure what had happened, but those that were spread the word quickly that the hanyou that normally protected them had snapped and gone on a killing spree. Some of Inuyasha's first victims had been his closest friends, which was the reason Kagome had asked for Sesshoumaru. It was like his mind was completely gone.

Sango and Miroku came over to support Kagome, but Sango kept rubbing her throat, remembering how it felt to have it ripped apart. Their three children were thankfully unharmed physically, but the entire village was hurting emotionally.

When the fire in Kagome's hut started to burn low, Kagome went out to go get more, and Kyo followed along. He stared at his little claws, remembering the sight of his father slashing at the villagers he normally protected. Kyo wondered if his demon blood would turn him into a monster someday, and unfortunately for both of them, they weren't the only ones considering this.

Two of the village men offered to help carry extra wood inside for them, and Kagome thanked them, assuming they were trying to console her and do what they could to help. She knew from living in the village that most people made an effort to help those in need. The two men, who were friends of their family, and fathers of Kyo's friends, made small talk when they got inside until each used the heavy wood to knock out Sango and Miroku, who weren't expecting the blows.

Kagome barely had time to register what happened before the world went black for her too.

Kyo saw his mother hit the floor and wanted to be brave, but instead, he ran away. The men chased after him, and other villagers joined in, prepared to get the evil they feared out of the village by any means. He didn't understand why his father had gone mad, but in that moment, he hated his father for passing demon blood on to him.

When Kyo tripped on a rock, the sensation of falling was followed immediately by pain he had never felt before. He rolled over, clutching his bleeding shoulder, and saw one of the younger farmers, wielding a sharp tool that was stained with his blood. Instinct took over when Kyo realized it was coming down on him again, and he lunged upward, growling as his claws ripped at the man's insides.

Guts splattered at his feet, which only frightened him more, and Kyo kept running into the woods as fast as his legs would carry him. He had no idea where he was going and wasn't even sure it mattered. The smell of blood, his and the farmer's, his father's death, and the indescribable pain in his shoulder made him feel like the world was crumbling.

He could hear villagers running and yelling as they chased him. They believed Kyo had become the monster they were afraid of, and Kyo wasn't sure he hadn't.

A scent stuck out in the woods, and the image of his uncle flashed in his head.

Kyo fell again, this time because he was feeling dizzy and could hardly see through the tears. Torches flickered as they approached, and he decided to just lay there and weather whatever happened to him.

They approached with rusty and new swords, chunks of wood, and pieces of bamboo.

He closed his eyes and waited, but instead of pain, Kyo felt an aura wash over him, and when he opened his eyes, Sesshoumaru was standing between him and the villagers.

Sesshoumaru cut his eyes over to look at Kyo, who was bloody and curled up at the base of a tree. He didn't know the boy at all, but didn't exactly believe any child Inuyasha and Kagome raised would kill without extreme provocation. The shoulder wound was more than enough reason to kill, considering his age and the situation.

"Leave," Sesshoumaru ordered as he reached for Bakusaiga.

The villagers scattered quickly, unwilling to take a chance against someone that looked so much like the devil that tore their village apart.

After he peeled away the sliced layers of the boy's haori, he determined the wound wasn't life-threatening.

"You will be fine," he said.

Kyo clutched his shoulder and winced. "Will you help my mother please?"

"Wash up, get that scent off your claws, it will attract predators," Sesshoumaru said.

The boy stared at his bloodied claws and asked, "I can't ever go back, can I?"

"No, you can't. Go wash, that stench is foul," Sesshoumaru said.

Kyo wanted to cry more, and hope someone else would carry him, or make everything better, but Sesshoumaru seemed very strict, like he wanted Kyo to brave the pain and take care of himself. The village would never let him come back, his father was dead, and he had no idea where his mother was. Sesshoumaru was the only direction or protection Kyo had, so he decided to do his best to follow Sesshoumaru's order. He found his feet and stumbled blindly toward the river, listening for the water.

Sesshoumaru returned to the village, but couldn't find Kagome. Her scent was seemingly absent, even though it didn't really lead away from the village. Where it did lead was a well in the middle of a clearing. Miroku stood at the edge, staring down into the well.

Miroku looked fearfully up at Sesshoumaru. "Please tell me you found Kyo."

Sesshoumaru nodded and looked down. Myouga told him of Kagome's origins, but he was reluctant to believe it until that moment. Kagome's scent vanished, as if she either disappeared into thin air or found a way to completely conceal her aura.

"You haven't asked any questions. Does that mean you know?" Miroku asked.

"I know." Sesshoumaru ran his hand along the edge of the well. Magic lightly greeted his touch, telling him it was present, but it was not for him to use.

"The well hasn't worked for Kagome since she came back. The villagers threw her down here, and it swallowed her," Miroku said.

"Inconvenient."

Miroku sighed and leaned against the structure. "If you bring Kyo back, Sango and I will take care of him. Take him someplace else, maybe the old demon slayer's village."

"Kyo has spilt human blood. He will never live like a one again," Sesshoumaru said.

"I can't say I think that's a good idea. He just lost his father. And…" Miroku started. He realized Sesshoumaru might be acting on Kyo's behalf for that very reason. "I see."

"I doubt you do," Sesshoumaru cryptically answered.

On the other side of the well, Kagome jumped from halfway up, only to make impact with the ground again. She clawed at the dirt, hoping her son was okay, but knowing Sango and Miroku weren't awake to help him. All the stories about violence against hanyou and hateful, superstitious villagers came rushing back at her, and she screamed and hit the well with her fists.

Kicking up the dust with her feet, she continued crying and doing whatever she thought might make it work again.

When she heard the door of the well house open, Kagome suddenly felt afraid. It had been eleven years since she last saw her home, and she didn't know what could have changed in her time.

A deep, masculine voice called her name as a shadow moved over the well. "Kagome? Kagome, is that you?"

"Who's there?" Kagome asked fearfully.

"Souta!" the man answered as he quickly climbed down the ladder to take Kagome into his arms. "I can't believe you're really here!"

Kagome went limp in their embrace and started sobbing again. Souta picked up little pieces of information as she hiccupped and cried the story out. Inuyasha was dead, and Kagome had a son that was in danger, and that was the night the well decided to work. He didn't know what to do, so he just held her, and then helped her out of the well where he saw a bruise on her jaw and puffy, red eyes.

Once he got Kagome into the house, more tears came when Kagome and their mother reunited and she recounted the story again.

During the second time, Souta searched for some sort of hope in the story. Kagome's husband was dead, and from what she said, their child might be too. Inuyasha told him when he was younger how rough the feudal era could be, and Souta didn't know how Kagome was going to handle living there alone with a child when or if the well ever allowed her to go back.

"Perhaps Inuyasha's brother helped him?" Souta suggested.

Kagome looked up from the table. "Maybe."

After Kagome thought about it for a moment, and nodded. Sesshoumaru was usually a total jackass, but he wasn't one to stand by and do nothing when it really came down to something important. In fact, Sesshoumaru probably knew something like that might happen, since he watched Inuyasha grow up as a hanyou. He also had senses even Inuyasha couldn't understand, and was usually aware of danger before anyone else. He certainly wasn't ideal, but she realized her son was probably with Sesshoumaru.

And that Sesshoumaru probably wasn't very happy about that.

In reality, Kyo was sleeping naked and alone in the forest, his bloodstained clothes drying on a rock while he shivered. His little claws were red from being scrubbed, and Sesshoumaru was several kilometers away with the monk.

The monk had a grim expression as they walked down a path in the dark, their way lit by the moon. Since the air was saturated by the smells of carnage and destruction, Sesshoumaru was unable to trace Inuyasha's steps and had asked the monk where it started. The fact that Inuyasha suddenly lost control and forgot himself was troublesome, especially considering that he had a young son that might share the same fate if it had something to do with his mixed blood.

Miroku waved his arm toward Kagome's herb garden. "Kagome said it started here. She was gathering herbs and when she turned, he was just…lost. We thought at first maybe something set him off, but no one could sense anything here, not even Kagome."

Sesshoumaru stepped into the small garden, wrinkling his nose slightly at the herbs, half of which were used as deterrents to repel demons. As soon as he did, Tenseiga started to rattle quickly, alerting him to the fact that something was there.

"Stop moving," he quickly barked.

The monk froze, mouth open, hand in the air. Sesshoumaru's tone communicated urgency, and the sudden awakening of his sword could only mean one thing – something had gone wrong.

He gripped Tenseiga, and as soon as he pulled it from its sheath, it started to glow, casting a light that revealed thick, torn black spider webs. Sesshoumaru reached out and tried to touch one of them, but common sense advised him against it. Whatever they were, they had wiped out Inuyasha instantly. Instead, he swung the sword, vaporizing them.

"You cut something," Miroku said, still unable to sense anything.

There were enough scary things in the world that he could see, yet the idea there were things no one could see scared him more than anything. Whatever Sesshoumaru had cut destroyed Inuyasha in a matter of seconds, without leaving any trace.

"Spider webs," Sesshoumaru answered.

"A spider..." Miroku whispered.

Miroku flexed the hand that was once cursed. "Come with me. I sincerely hope this isn't related, but I think I should show you."

Miroku and Sesshoumaru walked to the cave where Onigumo laid, where Naraku was born, and Miroku gave Sesshoumaru an explanation of what had transpired there. Sesshoumaru had never heard the story of Naraku's origin, and never really cared, but the simple fact a demon like Naraku could be born near the village spoke of something dark that lingered there.

The closer they got to the cave, the more evil subtly touched Sesshoumaru's senses. He looked around, but when he tried to enter, a barrier blocked him, confirming what both were hoping against. Something very bad was going on and neither knew what.

"I have a family now," Miroku said, glaring at his hand.

Sesshoumaru looked back at the village, and then toward the barrier. His senses screamed that disaster lurked in the shadows, and the monk seemed petrified by the danger so close to the place he was trying to raise his family. "You should leave," he ominously warned.


	2. Chapter 2

Three months later, Kagome's mother carried a cup of tea up to Kagome's room. While Kagome had grown into a very strong woman, the combination of Inuyasha's death and the separation from her son paralyzed her. Kagome more or less refused to eat, and spent most of her time in the well house, trying to make the well take her home.

Keiko Higurashi saw she was sleeping, even though it was the middle of the afternoon, and placed the cup of tea down on the nightstand. She sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed Kagome's back, gently waking her.

"It's the middle of the afternoon," she said.

Kagome rolled over, and stared blankly up at her mother. "I already tried the well. It didn't work. Again."

Keiko pulled the covers off Kagome and said, "It's been three months, Kagome. You have to get out of bed. You have to get better."

Kagome sat up and picked up the framed picture of her and Inuyasha. It had been taken on her sixteenth birthday, and she looked so happy. Inuyasha had a mouthful of cake and a scowl, which was his way. After smiling briefly, she sat back and stared down into his eyes.

"We had a horrible marriage. We fought like cats and dogs about everything you can think of. He wasn't a good husband and made a horrible father. There were a lot of problems," Kagome confessed.

Keiko sighed. "When your father died, I felt like part of me died. I spent a lot of time thinking about all the things that weren't right, and all the things I did wrong. You have to keep going or going to feel like this forever."

"I _need_ to get back to my son, Mama," she cried.

Her mother stayed and talked to her for awhile, but didn't really know why Kagome had passed through and then been subsequently unable to return. It made sense that Kagome wasn't able to go through the well during her high school years because Kagome wasn't ready to move onto marriage with Inuyasha then, which was their goal at the time.

The Bone-Eater's Well was such a mystery that Mrs. Higurashi wasn't sure if they would ever really understand what it was, how it worked, or why it worked.

At her mother's request, Kagome eventually got out of bed and walked the shrine grounds. She tried the well again, with no luck, but as she was leaving the well house, her eyes fell on Goshinboku. Since Inuyasha's death, Kagome hadn't been able to get close to it. There were too many memories, bad and good, linked to that tree.

She approached it slowly, remembering the first time she saw Inuyasha, hanging from the tree in the feudal era. Alarm swelled in her as she neared it and saw the leaves surrounding it. It was late summer, and not time for the tree to shed its leaves, yet it was nude. Peculiar black patches stood out on the bark that was normally perfect, save the mark where Kikyou's arrow scarred the tree.

Kagome reached out to touch the bark, and felt a surge of demonic power.

"No…" she whispered frightfully.

Kagome always believed there was some link between the well and the tree, but for her, the tree's disease and the well's strange behavior confirmed her suspicion. It had been awhile since she had really tapped her powers, but she put her hands on the bark of the tree and called them to life, battling whatever evil had possessed the tree. It was like tug of war, except whatever was on the other side was stronger than she was.

After doing this for awhile, Kagome wasn't sure she could ultimately win against the entity.

Would the ever well work if that happened?

The demonic aura surged forward as soon as she relaxed. The bark started to darken even more, shriveling up quickly.

Kagome panicked and ran for the store room, knocking things off the shelf in search of anything she could use as a weapon. A dusty box fell from the top shelf and a large red bow slid onto the floor. Relieved, Kagome grabbed a quiver from the corner. These were the ones she used to defeat Naraku, and since she hadn't taken them with her the last time she went down the well, they ended up in the storage building, dusty and forgotten.

She aimed her weapon as she ran back toward the tree, waited for the arrow to charge with her power, and fired an arrow right into Goshinboku. The dark power in the tree dissipated briefly, and without going inside for any supplies, Kagome ran straight for the well and jumped.

XXX

Kyo took the metal mask hanging off of the finger extended toward him and frowned.

Sesshoumaru gave rarely, and he gave only when there was reason. Over the past three months, Sesshoumaru had given him two sets of identical white clothes that cleaned themselves, a special rock to file his claws down, a short sword which was sheathed on his back, and the mask.

Kyo had never drawn the sword in any of the battles Sesshoumaru dragged him along for, and honestly wasn't sure if he would. The taiyoukai worked him hours each day with the blade, but when it came down to it, Kyo didn't feel like attacking and killing. It made him feel ashamed that he wasn't up to Sesshoumaru expectations, but Sesshoumaru didn't show any sign of disappointment, making the cryptic assurance that he would "live by the sword" whether he wanted to or not.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Sesshoumaru stared sternly down at Kyo until he put the mask on, looping the leathery straps from his pointed ears. It reminded him of Kohaku's poison mask, and from the scent in the air, Kyo decided poison was probably the reason it was given to him. Kyo had learned not to question his uncle, so he complied without complaint and followed the taiyoukai down a familiar path.

With a nod of approval, they followed a mountain path that descended to the valley were Kyo's home village was. The first clear view either got came with a mix of surprise and uncertainty. A thick, dark cloud covered the entire valley, including Inuyasha's forest and the village.

It reeked of miasma, but they continued.

Kyo followed without complaint, although he did feel afraid. He thought at first that Sesshoumaru would protect him and keep him out of danger, but Sesshoumaru's obligation seemed to end at keeping him alive. His uncle allowed him to get into all kinds of danger, and injury came on a nearly weekly basis. Sesshoumaru told him he was old enough to take care of himself, so he did.

Sesshoumaru kept a slow pace, so his nephew could keep up. The two hadn't really left the immediate area, and several times a week, they walked in the area of the village. Sesshoumaru knew something bad was happening, although he wasn't sure what it was. The sudden appearance of thick miasma was more than enough to convince him he was right.

Traveling with Kyo had revealed much to Sesshoumaru about both his deceased brother and his sister-in-law. His behavior was inconsistent, and Kyo alluded repeatedly to the fact his parents didn't get along well. Sesshoumaru always assumed Inuyasha and Kagome were in love and living in a cramped little hut having babies was their idea of bliss.

When they arrived at a fork in the path that led into the village, Kyo froze. "Sesshoumaru-sama…this is the way to the village."

"I am aware," Sesshoumaru answered.

Images flashed in Kyo's head of the life he had taken, and he started to walk backward. "I can't go back there," he said, voice muffled by the mask.

Sesshoumaru's disapproving glare reversed Kyo's decision, and the boy started to follow. "What about the villagers? They'll attack."

"They won't," Sesshoumaru answered.

Kyo picked up his speed when he realized he wasn't keeping pace with Sesshoumaru. "Do you think they've forgiven me? I-I didn't mean too…"

A mummified corpse entered his miasma-clouded vision.

A few steps later, he saw another.

Kyo realized the villagers weren't going to attack because they were all dead. All of the people he knew, and all the children he played with were gone. A warning glare ended his crying before it started, and he continued following. Pressure from the lump in his throat forced him to take shallow breaths to remain in control, but he was determined not to break down and cry.

A sudden pulse of extreme energy from the hill got Sesshoumaru's attention. The burst pushed the miasma past them toward the edge of the village. Sesshoumaru realized when his skin burned that the source of the energy was a holy person of considerable power, and quickly checked to see if Kyo had been hurt by the burst.

Kyo was unharmed, but he had a look of understanding and relief.

Sesshoumaru followed him up the hill to the Bone Eater's Well, where Kagome was pulling herself up.

Kagome had her son in her arms before she even looked up and was surprised when Kyo practically pulled her up with his own strength. She felt the knot in her soul finally release, knowing he was still alive. From the embrace, she could feel the strange lump on his back, and her hands ran up Kyo's back curiously, following the sword sheathed there. Kagome opened her eyes and saw the hilt of a sword hovering not far from her face.

Looking past the sword, a white blur next to Goshinboku came into focus.

She kissed her son on the forehead and ended the embrace. She pulled one of the loops on the mask, so it dangled by one ear. "I'm so sorry. I tried to come back, but the well wouldn't let me."

"Everything is okay, Mama," Kyo answered.

Kagome ran her fingers through her son's hair and leaned forward, noticing he smelled wild, like the forest. Like his father. "I need to talk to Sesshoumaru for a minute. Stay here?"

"Yes, Mama."

Kyo sat on the edge of the well, and watched his mother approach Sesshoumaru. Her step had an angry snap, something he knew well from growing up with parents who fought a lot. Kagome let off many non-verbal clues about how she felt, even though both Kagome and Inuyasha tried to hide how screwed up their relationship was from him.

Kagome's hands fisted as she neared Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru could sense the anger, but continued to look bored, because he really did not want to have the conversation that was about to happen. Kagome coddled Shippou when he was young, babied Inuyasha when he was hurt, and was soft enough with Kyo that it had taken weeks for Kyo to accept that he could take care of himself.

"A sword? You gave my eleven-year-old son a sword?" she said, tone fluctuating as she tried not to shriek.

Sesshoumaru leaned against Goshinboku and felt a surge of purification energy that still lingered in the tree. Wincing slightly from the sudden pain, he leaned forward again. "Yes."

"Why? Kyo is just a kid. He's too young for that. I never wanted him to know what it was like to kill."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "If you wanted your son to have a peaceful life, you should have married into another family."

"Do you have any children, Sesshoumaru? Do you even know what it's like to want to give someone a good life? Have you ever felt anything like that powerful in your life?" she cried out.

"I have battled power you cannot even fathom. That's the only thing waiting for Kyo in the world. Blood, violence, battle…that is what life is for a hanyou. You of all people should understand this," he answered.

Kagome's voice rose, "Excuse me for not wanting my son to live a miserable life!"

Sesshoumaru did something Kagome had never seen before. He laughed, chuckling darkly and softly at her. "So naive after all these years. Stupid girl."

He started to walk away, and Kagome went back to her son.

Kyo explained everything that had happened since she left, and Kagome suddenly felt extremely confused and frightened. Something evil was happening, and Kagome was on her own with her son. For as long as she had been going through the well, Inuyasha had been her protector, but now, she was pretty much alone.

"We can go and stay with Miroku and Sango until we get things figured out. Do you know where they are?" Kagome asked.

Kyo nodded and told her that Sango and Miroku and their children were staying with Rin and Kohaku in the mountains nearby. Then he told her that the place they were living belonged to Sesshoumaru, and that Sesshoumaru frequently spent time there. The fact that this didn't bother Kyo gave Kagome pause.

"Kyo, do you _like_ traveling Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked.

Her son nodded. "Yes, Mama."

"Why?"

Somewhere between concepts that humans understood and ideas that demons embraced was Kyo. His mother was human, and his father was a half-demon. She liked coming home every night to a home and a routine, but traveling with Sesshoumaru was exhilarating. Every day was different, and it was like being wild in a way. Kyo learned to embrace his demon blood, and after that, the idea of going back to a village to pretend to be like everyone else felt like a punishment.

He explained this as well as he could to his mother, who felt a little heartbroken that her son wanted to abandoned the kind of life she wanted for him.

There were few people she disliked more on a personal level than Sesshoumaru, and was scared to death Kyo would be influenced by Sesshoumaru's disposition. At the same time, Kyo said the word 'need' enough times that it stuck out in her mind, as if he wouldn't be happy if he didn't satisfy the needs of his demon blood. She hadn't really considered how little she understood his demon side, and wondered if Kyo's restlessness was caused by instincts she didn't even have.

"Maybe we can catch up to him. Do you know which way he went?" Kagome asked.

Kyo sniffed at the air. "This way."


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome groaned as she stood from her 'bed,' a soft spot between roots of an old tree in the middle of a forest. She had no idea where she was, what they were doing, or what excitement the day might bring, but two weeks of traveling with Sesshoumaru was neither fun nor easy.

It was just the three of them, plus Sesshoumaru's dragon which was brought along for her, something that embarrassed her to no end. Her young son could keep up with Sesshoumaru, but she really couldn't. Sesshoumaru kept a strange schedule that involved getting up excessively early, walking around for several hours, working Kyo like a dog in the afternoon to train him, and then sleep.

The harder Sesshoumaru worked Kyo though, the more Kyo perked up. Kagome had never seen him behave so energetically, and over the course of the past three months, her 'baby' had learned a large number of survival skills that ranged from hunting to scrambling up trees to escape clumsier predators.

They came to river rapids that rushed down a mountain, and Kagome frowned at Sesshoumaru. The river was wide, water sloshed up in the air where it crashed on rocks along the way. If someone did fall in the water, they would be swept downstream to the rocky waterfall she could clearly see.

"Are you kidding me?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru glared at her and said, "You, cross on the dragon. You would never make it."

Kagome fisted her hands. "I am not going to let you pressure my son into falling in the water. He could be…"

Kyo was gracefully hopping from one slippery river rock to another, landing low to brace himself with his hands before springing off to the next. His mother's sentence died in her mouth as he easily and carelessly crossed the river and watched them from the other side.

"It would be convenient if you were mute," Sesshoumaru answered as he turned quickly and traced Kyo's path in a more graceful manner.

Kagome rode Ah-Un across the water, and stayed on its back as they continued.

She always promised herself that she would try to be an understanding parent, but she was beginning to understand that there were things about her son and their clan that she didn't understand at all. There was something wild and untamable about them, and Kagome wondered if Inuyasha didn't adjust well to being married and living like a human because he simply wasn't tamable.

While Sesshoumaru always seemed very calm and sedate except when fighting, Kagome could recognize that streak of wild in him, lurking just below the surface of his eyes. Since very little conversation took place, Kagome spent much of their time together studying him, and she learned that she could tell when he picked up a scent. Sesshoumaru would inhale slightly more sharply than normal, a tiny gleam of excitement in his eyes, and then turn his head in whatever direction the scent came from. Then, he would either continue on his current path or turn.

Later on in the day, she saw Sesshoumaru do this, except he hesitated, as if he wanted to follow, but wasn't sure if he should. His hand went to his side, and Kagome felt anticipation start to rise in her chest as a demonic aura lurked at the edge of her senses.

Sesshoumaru ran his thumb over the hilt of Bakusaiga, and looked at his pack. "Stay here."

"Sesshoumaru-sama, may I come. Please? I won't make any trouble. I just want to watch you fight," Kyo quickly argued.

Sesshoumaru shook his head and took off quickly, breaking into a sprint as he raced to the location of a large lizard youkai. Fingers tightened, prepared to draw Bakusaiga at just the right moment when his opponent took a swipe at him, but when the time came, Bakusaiga didn't move and Sesshoumaru was knocked ten meters into the forest by a sharp blow.

Leaping to his feet, he tried harder to pull the sword and looked down to see some sort of demonic chain on his blade. Since the death of Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru hadn't tried to use Bakusaiga, so the last person he used it on was Inuyasha. Possibilities raced through his mind, but when the youkai turned in the direction of Kyo and Kagome, the chains broke and Bakusaiga slid easily from its sheath.

When he swung the blade, energy erupted from it, like he expected, but so did something else. The demon disintegrated, leaving only Sesshoumaru and a phantasm standing. The form was unmistakable, and Sesshoumaru frowned as a translucent Inuyasha walked toward him.

Sesshoumaru did nothing, and merely stood still as Inuyasha approached.

He sheathed Bakusaiga and the phantasm disappeared, so he tried to redraw the sword again, only to find it chained again. Cursing under his breath, he removed the grass from his hair and returned to Kyo and Kagome in a noticeably bad mood. His aura was flared out and unapologetically angry.

Kagome furrowed her brows and asked, "Is everything okay, Sesshoumaru?"

"We are going to see Toutousai," Sesshoumaru hissed.

"Ohhh…sword problems?"

The glare he gave her sent chills down her back and she feared it would send her straight to hell faster than the Meidou Zangetsuha. The next sound that came from her mouth was a squeaked apology,

"Who's Toutousai?" Kyo asked.

Kagome started to explain how Toutousai made swords, skirting all the issues she felt might inflame Sesshoumaru further. She wasn't really afraid of making him lose his temper, but he seemed very tense, which made all of them uneasy.

"Then, let's see…he helped Inuyasha get dragon-scaled Tessaiga by telling us someone who might help him. We went to this village and had the craziest adventure. He's a really weird old man though. Toutousai likes to pretend he's senile when he isn't," Kagome explained.

Sesshoumaru stopped walking and turned slightly. "Toutousai is your great uncle."

Kagome jumped off Ah-Un. "What, what, what? How did I not know about this? Did Inuyasha know?"

"No," Sesshoumaru answered.

Kyo seemed appeased by the answer. "That's awesome! Maybe he'll make me a sword someday."

Kagome was less satisfied, and kept trying to piece it together in her head. If he was Kyo's uncle, that meant he was either Izayoi's brother, Izayoi's brother-in-law, or their father's brother or brother-in-law. Deciding it was very unlikely that a human princess had a crazy demon in the family tree, and that Toutousai obviously wasn't a dog demon, that almost had to mean the Inu No Taishou had a sister who married Toutousai.

Yet, Toutousai was a crazy old man who lived alone in the corpse of a demon on a mountain where no one ever saw him.

She waited until they made camp and Kyo was dozing off. She knelt next to Sesshoumaru, who slowly turned his head to communicate his distaste for her close proximity with a glare.

"Will you tell me more about Toutousai? I've always wanted to know more about your family. It is Kyo's family too and I've always wondered if he has any other family out there," she said.

Sesshoumaru made sure Kyo was asleep and answered, "None that would want anything to do with him."

Unsatisfied, Kagome sighed and continued to stare, having a completely wordless argument with Sesshoumaru, who neither wanted to have her so close to him or to have a conversation with her about things he felt were none of her concern.

"You should try minding your own business."

"You should try not being a hypocrite. You can't tell me that I have to accept Kyo's heritage and not explain what that means. Whether or not you like it, Kyo and I are a part of the family," Kagome argued.

Sesshoumaru tapped his finger on his knee and realized Kagome had the power of logic on her side. Just because she needed to know things didn't mean he wanted to talk about them. Still, he knew that if he didn't tell her what she wanted to know, she would ask Toutousai and open very old wounds.

"He married my aunt," he explained.

"What happened next?" Kagome asked.

He blinked in confusion. "That is all."

"So where is your aunt? Do they have kids?" Kagome pressed, wanting to hear the rest of the story, which was obviously not being told.

Sesshoumaru threw a rock into their little fire, making sparks jump. "She died."

The taiyoukai wasn't the least bit surprised by the tears when he looked up. "Woman, are you pleased to have this information?"

Kagome stood and hung her head. "Not really."

She took two steps away from him, but turned back. "My name is Kagome. My husband is dead, my family won't exist for five hundred years, and I'm stuck in this godforsaken world with you because I think you may be the best thing for my son. I have no friend to talk to, I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, and my whole life currently revolves around you and what you want to do."

"Explain," he said.

"I'm lonely," she quietly whispered. "I want to talk to you, but it's not because I like you. I just want to feel better. That's a horrible thing. Forgive me."

Kagome settled down in between Ah-Un and the fire, and did her best not to cry. She felt horrible that she was trying to use Sesshoumaru to make herself feel better. While she wasn't particularly concerned with his feelings, she knew how low it was to use someone like that.

Near her, Sesshoumaru watched her in amusement. Kagome was growing on him just enough that he no longer wished her mute. He could see why she and Inuyasha had marital problems, even though she couldn't. Inuyasha was wild and reckless, and she was careful and sweet. He was a bull in the china closet of the miko's little heart, breaking and stomping around all her delicate feelings and morals.

Her confession disturbed her a little, as if she was telling him all the china in her closet was broken and she was done polishing and protecting the pieces. Sesshoumaru preferred her this way, because he wasn't the kind of person who clung to vague moralities and knew he would take no pleasure in traveling with one.

Sesshoumaru smirked cruelly and said, "I am touched you are concerned about my feelings."

Kagome peered over the back of the dragon and saw his expression, as if he enjoyed watching her fall. "To be honest, your feelings aren't what I'm worried about. I don't want to be someone that takes and takes selfishly."

"Is the distance between giving unselfishly and taking selfishly great?"

"Not really," she answered.

They were quiet for awhile longer before she added, "Inuyasha was give and take. Mostly take though. I always used to wonder why he couldn't at least give and take equally. Giving as much as taking, so it all balances out."

"You wish to take from me, what are going to give me?" he asked in a mocking tone.

She turned her eyes back to the fire. "Do you want something from me?"

"No."

"Goodnight, then."


	4. Chapter 4

Kagome smiled at Sesshoumaru and looked down. It was her small thanks to the fact he granted her request the night before and let her have one night to celebrate her son's twelfth birthday. Their version of celebration involved resting and enjoying the day instead of wandering in a seemingly aimless manner.

While they rested at the base of Toutousai's Mountain, Sesshoumaru journeyed upward to see the aging demon and demand answers about the strange behavior of his prized Bakusaiga. He took with him a rusty old sword wrapped in fire rat, wondering if abandoning it with its maker would relief some of the burden he felt in the wake of his brother's death.

In killing Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru almost felt like he erased the last bit of his father from the world. Tessaiga was his father's sword and Inuyasha was the only real person who served as proof the old dog had ever existed other than himself. Although he and Inuyasha were by no means close, Sesshoumaru felt a little more alone in the world without knowing Inuyasha was out there somewhere.

When Sesshoumaru arrived at the mouth of the hollowed out demon corpse Toutousai lived in, he found the old man hammering away on a piece of steel.

Toutousai looked up at Sesshoumaru and immediately went back to his work, as if Sesshoumaru wasn't there at all. Sesshoumaru's curled up into a snarl, and Toutousai put his giant mallet aside and stood.

"What's the matter, Sesshoumaru? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Sesshoumaru tugged at the hilt of his sword, "What have you done?"

For once, Toutousai seemed completely lucid and serious. The pretend senility and silliness was gone from his face, and in its place, Sesshoumaru could almost see regret in his eyes. "Bakusaiga was designed so that if you ever took one specific life, that life could decide when and if it was ever drawn again."

Sesshoumaru's lips curled down into a frown. "My father asked that this be done?"

"Sesshoumaru, let sleeping dogs lie," Toutousai answered.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes angrily. "Say it, you pathetic old fool. Tell me my father believed I would become a monster. Tell me he did not trust me. Tell me I was not the beloved son."

Toutousai sighed sadly and yawned. "I'm getting tired, Sesshoumaru. It is almost time for me to sleep. I have done everything there was to do, and now, I want to rest."

Scents nearing at the bottom of the mountain told Sesshoumaru it might not be a good idea to tarry long with Toutousai. Realizing Toutousai had no help to offer and wasn't particularly eager to do so, Sesshoumaru turned on his heel. Something ate at him as he did so, and a strange sense of grief traveled down his spine to his bones.

"Is this the last time?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Standing carefully, Toutousai stared up at the top of the mountain. "My debt to your father is finally repaid."

"I see."

Toutousai touched put his hand on Sesshoumaru's shoulder. "Before I go, there is one last thing. Bakusaiga was made from one-half of a blade that was broken in two pieces several millennia ago. It was a great power that was separated by light and darkness. Bakusaiga was the light side."

"Where is the other part?" he asked.

"I don't know, but it is awake," Toutousai darkly answered.

Toutousai walked past him, and Sesshoumaru looked for his mount, the faithful bull that he was seen with so often. Sesshoumaru's frown deepened when he saw the scraps of beef on the plate next to the floor. The smell of grease on the fire was thick, and Toutousai started on the mountain path that led to the top of the volcano.

"Take care, ungrateful brat," he muttered quietly.

Sesshoumaru decided he would leave before the scent hit the air. He turned and leapt down from the mountain quickly, where Kagome and Kyo waited for him. At the edge of the forest, just out of sight, two more lurked, anxious for his company.

Kagome was staring up at the sky in a half-asleep daze, but Kyo's eyes were fixed on the trees. While the boy couldn't smell anything, he was certain something was there.

"Kyo, you can sense them, huh?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Kagome jerked upward. "Sense what? I don't sense anything?"

"Captains."

Half a second later, two nearly identical streaks of white hit the ground in front of him in a kneeling position. Hidden under white, hooded cloaks that were tattered and bloodstained, they remained still for a second before regarding Sesshoumaru.

"Taisho!"

"Hn."

Two men stood and pushed their hoods back, revealing the fact that they were twins, completely identical except for their eyes. One had silver eyes, Gin, and the other had gold eyes, Kin. Their features immediately stood out to Kagome as being similar to Sesshoumaru's and the size of their auras suggested they were very powerful demons. The fact that such men would kneel in front of Sesshoumaru spoke of the fact that Sesshoumaru demanded respect.

"Pardon the interruption. Something terrible has happened in Edo. Koichi is dead, along with two scouts, and several other guards," Gin said.

"Edo again. What happened?" Sesshoumaru rubbed his chin, wondering what was there and why it would suddenly strike against his forces. Normally, the demons he commanded were like an invisible hand that kept order. They were also trained incredibly well and tangling with one usually meant a fight with several at once.

Kin hesitated and then answered. "We don't know. It appears they killed each other, Taisho. Not just killed…it was so gruesome. They ripped each other to pieces and continued fighting, organs exposed, blood pouring. It was _unnatural_."

"Koichi killed all those under him, and as soon as he was the last one standing, Ren killed him and burned the bodies. We've been issued an order to not go near Edo until the matter is sorted. She also asked for your presence," Gin added.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Escort the Kyo to the fortress."

"Hai!"

Kagome felt the world below her turn to fluff and promptly fell on her bottom as a youki cloud formed under her feet and lifted her from the ground. Landing in an awkward position, she clumsily fumbled on the ball of fluff, only to stick her arm completely through it. She screamed as her arm dangled freely above the world below, and earned a swift kick to her rear by an unappreciative black boot.

"Be still, Idiot," he barked.

She pulled her arm back up and remained twisted and uncomfortable as they flew through the air, wind blowing up her hakama to make them flap. "You are difficult! And I know right now you probably just gave me a dirty look, but I'm stuck like this and can't see you, so let me just tell you that I don't really appreciate that."

After awhile, Kagome slowly untwisted her body and quickly realized the youki cloud was the softest thing she'd slept on since she started traveling with Sesshoumaru. Deciding it was probably safer to sleep high in the air than on the ground anyway, she made no effort to stop herself from falling asleep.

Kagome didn't wake up again until the ground around her became hard again, and she fisted her hands in dirt.

"Full of ambition, this one."

The brassy, low-pitched female voice caused Kagome to awaken quickly. Embarrassment quickly followed as she realized she was laying on the ground between two demons that looked down at her in unmistakable disapproval.

Kagome jumped to her feet and straightened her priestess robes. "I dozed off, sorry."

Sesshoumaru crossed his arms and glanced at the destroyed clearing they were standing in. There was half of a demon clad in crushed armor, entrails dangling freely. The broken armor nearly hypnotized Kagome, a striking nearly opalescent white in the places it wasn't blooded and cracked.

"Is that the one that killed the others, Koichi?" Kagome asked.

Ren, who was wearing the same white cloak as the others, leaned against a tree and shrugged apathetically. "After Gin mentioned what happened to Inuyasha, I cautioned Koichi about sending his men in, but he wouldn't listen. He said Inuyasha lost his mind because he was weak blooded."

"You believed in Inuyasha?" Kagome quietly asked.

"I don't believe in anything. This area is cursed. Bad things _always_ happen here, and I know better than to stick my hand in the beehive," Ren answered.

Sesshoumaru crossed his arms and stared down into the miasma lake at the bottom of the hill. "You could have told me this in person. Why was it necessary to demand my immediate attention?"

Ren pointed down into the miasma. "There is something down there. I cannot smell or sense it in any way, but the miasma moves as if it is being displaced, then like it is not."

"Scout the perimeter, and come back."

Sesshoumaru watched the cloud, and as he had been told, a bald spot formed in the middle of it, and then dissipated. His senses told him they were the only living things in the immediate area, which was an escalation from how it was when they left. The forest creatures and trees sickened and died, either from the miasma in the air something worse.

Kagome looked around, and up at all the dead trees. "This place is called Inuyasha's Forest. It is dead like he is, and that makes me angry. I never understood people who wanted vengeance, but sometimes losing a loved one means losing so much more than that person. My whole life is upside down, and the reason for it is down there somewhere."

"Thirsty for vengeance? How unlike you," Sesshoumaru answered in a mocking tone.

Ignoring the slight, she added, "Besides, if Inuyasha was here, he'd want to kill whatever caused this. I wish I could go down there and face whatever monster is down there."

Anger sizzled in the air, and considering it was the strongest emotion he had sensed from her other than fear or grief since she started tagging along, Sesshoumaru decided maybe it was a good idea to let her face whatever it was. He secretly suspected whatever the evil of Edo was, it involved her anyway. Ren's words about the area being a beehive demanded more investigation, but even he knew of some of the strange mysteries.

Kagome was one of those mysteries, like the strange presence in the miasma cloud.

When Ren came back, she and Kagome waited awhile Sesshoumaru considered his options. After a couple of minutes, he turned and issued one order.

"Switch dress. You are almost the same height and build," Sesshoumaru said.

Kagome's jaw dropped, and then rose again in protest. "What? Why? What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

Sesshoumaru was blinded when a white cloak flew over his head. "Why must you argue? You wish for me to allow you to entangle yourself in this, and protest the _one_ precaution I ask you to take."

Kagome turned to see that under the cloak, Sesshoumaru's ally was wearing a full set of the shining white armor. It was in small pieces, and moved without causing obstruction, giving Kagome glimpses of black beneath it. She looked up at Sesshoumaru, then down at the armor being removed.

"You're not sure if you can protect me?"

"I am not sure if what is down there even has a body. If you want to go with me, you will wear the armor. Otherwise, you will be escorted to safety," Sesshoumaru answered.

Kagome bit her lip and wanted to protest, but she knew it would be pointless. It was an ultimatum, and she decided to go along, even though she had never even thought about wearing armor and wasn't sure she could even walk with it.

Sesshoumaru turned and she started to strip, folding her clothes neatly.

When both the women were completely stripped, Kagome started to struggle into the first layer, skin tight fire rat lined with some sort of metallic weave. It tightened around her limbs using ties, and while she fumbled with them, Sesshoumaru turned around.

"Sesshoumaru! Turn around!"

Since she was no longer officially naked, Sesshoumaru ignored her and stepped behind her, quickly tying her closed. "Your modesty should be endearing. However, I remember your old attire well."

"Hey, where I came from, that's perfectly normal," Kagome protested.

Over that, a stretchy black layer with a series of strange loops was stretched around Kagome, followed by the armor plates.

"This is all made from youkai, isn't it? It feels like being licked by a demon all over," she said, cringing.

The two youkai stopped for a moment and stared at her rather blankly.

"I wouldn't know what that feels like," Sesshoumaru answered.

Kagome turned red. "That's not what I meant! Stop acting like I'm some sort of deviant!"

Ren walked over to the demon that was torn in half and rolled him over to pull two daggers from his back. She cleaned the blood off of them on Kagome's hakama and put on in each of her hands.

"She is far too incompetent for weapons," Sesshoumaru said.

Kagome frowned and stared down at them. She had never been one to really get in the thick of combat, and preferred to be far away from it. Sesshoumaru was mocking her for it, like she was a coward. Inuyasha said similar things to her before he died about how she preferred to kill from a distance that spared her from having to look at the gore and pain she inflicted upon others.

"I can handle this."

Ren tied her hair up and slipped a poison mask over her face. "All ready. Try not to stab Sesshoumaru, because that makes him cranky."

Kagome took a step and murmured against the mask. "Why doesn't it feel heavy? What is it made from?"

"The bones of slain demons," Sesshoumaru answered.

"Be well, Taisho!"

Ren was gone and Sesshoumaru and Kagome were left standing at the top of the hill that led into the miasma.

Sesshoumaru let Kagome examine and test what she was wearing for awhile so she would have a good feel for herself. Though it made him feel impatient, it amused him at the same time to watch her hit herself on the arm and then beam happily at the fact it didn't hurt.

"I feel like a turtle! Let's go!" she exclaimed.

Kagome followed Sesshoumaru down into the purple cloud of miasma, relying on the mask to prevent it from poisoning her. A strange excitement tingled in her bones, as if she wasn't so afraid of them breaking. Her fear of injury and physical pain was a serious hindrance in battle training, but she felt so much stronger under the borrowed strength.

Sesshoumaru could sense the excitement coming from her, and turned for a quick glance to find her eyes determined and eager.

When they made it to the center of the cloud, a hauntingly familiar and unforgettably evil laugh filled the air.

Kagome's heart started to beat so hard she couldn't hear anything else. There was something dark ahead of her, and all she could think was that her life had been ruined by that murky shadow. The voice that belonged to that shadow was one she could never forget, no matter how many years passed.

"Naraku! You did this!"

Sesshoumaru reached for Bakusaiga, and the chain snapped immediately as Kagome lunged in front of him. Catching her in one hand as he leapt cleanly over Naraku, he landed on the other side and dropped her on the ground.

"Stupid Woman, don't kill yourself," he barked.

He slashed with Bakusaiga, and the miasma dissipated. It revealed nothing, and the shadow that laughed at them was gone. The presence vanished completely, just as it had before when they left before.

Inuyasha was standing there, in the middle of it, and when he saw Kagome, fear flashed in his eyes.

Kagome's eyes widened, but she said, "He disappeared! Why is it always like this?"

"You don't…see anything out of the ordinary?" Sesshoumaru asked.

She shook her head.

"Good."


	5. Chapter 5

"Can I ask you a question?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Only if it will make you be quiet."

Kagome emitted a peculiar squeak of victory and shifted, trying to find a comfortable position to sit in. "That female youkai we met yesterday did everything you told her to do. Kin and Gin seemed the same way, and even Kyo listens to you and does everything you say. Is everyone that obedient?" she asked.

"With the exception of you, yes," he answered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Why?"

His eyes narrowed marginally and he glared at her. "Are you asking me why _you_ are like you are?"

"No, I'm asking you what the difference is between people who are like that and people like me," Kagome explained.

Sesshoumaru was quiet while he tried to find a way to word his answer. "Everyone else is afraid of disappointing me or displeasing me. You are not."

"Would you prefer that I be like that?"

"No, thought of you behaving respectfully, maturely, and obediently is unbelievably unnatural," he quickly answered.

To this, Kagome stuck out her tongue and smiled at him.

Sesshoumaru saw Kagome stand, and then plop down carelessly. "You move much faster in that armor. And much more carelessly."

"It's nice to know I'm not going to bruise or scrape myself. Human bodies aren't very strong, you know? They break easily. You could probably kill me with your pinky finger, and there's nothing I could do about it. That's the scary thing about this era," she explained, thumping along the smooth white armor.

Sesshoumaru stared at his pinky finger, and then at his late brother's wife. "All this time, you have been at my mercy? To think, with a flick of this finger, I could destroy you…The noise would stop then?"

Kagome crossed her legs and rested her head on her hand. "Hey, don't look at me like that! It's hard being a human in this era. I can't imagine what it would be like to be someone like you. Untouchable by death, unaffected by time, undeniably strong when the only reason I didn't die here is your brother."

"Is that why you stayed with him despite a bad marriage?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Her eyes widened at the insinuation. "How did you know things weren't right between us?"

"Easily. Kyo is an only child, and I know he was conceived before your marriage, so I doubt there were any infertility issues," Sesshoumaru said.

Turning ten shades of red, she fisted her hands. "Did Inuyasha actually tell you that?" she screeched in horror.

"It was on your scent at the wedding."

"You weren't at our wedding!"

"You didn't see me at the wedding."

Suddenly anxious, Kagome picked up a little twig and started to dig around in the dirt with it. "Yeah, we got married because he got me pregnant. We were going to wait awhile longer, but…oops and all."

Eager to change the subject, she flopped down on her back. "Why didn't you didn't go out, find somebody, and have kids after Naraku? That's what everyone else did. Seriously, it's been ten years and everyone, demons in included, has done this except you and Shippou, who hasn't hit puberty yet because he's a demon."

Sesshoumaru had heard this argument before, and as he sat there, staring holes in his sister-in-law, he realized she sounded just like his mother. The chorus of her nagging rang fresh in his mind as he sat there, unsure of the reason everyone else decided to mate and procreate after Naraku's death. He saw Naraku's death as the beginning of something new, but the new phase of his life didn't involve the comfort of a mate or the challenges of fatherhood.

He relaxed and leaned his head against the tree, and settled into a resting state. What was good for everyone else wasn't what he wanted for himself, and he was fine with that.

Kagome tried again to find a comfortable position, fidgeting desperately. No matter what she tried, the armor pressed into her uncomfortably. She was tempted to try and take it all off, but she didn't really want to give up her armored shell. It was embarrassing enough that she hadn't been able to get out of it on her own to pee. Sesshoumaru complained greatly over having to help her pee, but that matter would never be spoken of. Ever.

It was when she lay there that a thought occurred to her. Shippou hadn't hit puberty, despite being over sixty years old, and her understanding was that the more powerful a demon was, the longer it could take. Rolling over onto her side, Kagome discovered a comfortable position while trying to get a good look at him.

Kagome knew Sesshoumaru didn't have any hair on his chest or arms, and that he had that nearly feminine look about him.

Was it possible…?

Amber slits appeared when Sesshoumaru felt her stare, and he opened them fully to find her studying him intently. "What now?"

"I know Shippou hasn't gone through the transition to become an adult yet. Powerful demons take longer to get there, and I mean…have you?" Kagome blurted out.

Sesshoumaru's jaw slowly slipped open, and his face transformed into one of complete shock. Wide, horrified eyes stared back at her. He wanted to believe no one would be stupid enough to ask him something like that, but his ears didn't lie.

"Are you asking me if I have gone through puberty?"

Sesshoumaru found this insulting on a very deep level. He had never taken an interest in her sexually for a plethora of reasons, the largest ones being that she was a different species and she was his brother's wife. Females tended to go a little crazy over him though, and knowing his magic evidently didn't work on Kagome was slightly disappointing. He really didn't care, but the thought gave him pause.

"Well! I know you don't have hair on your chest or arms," Kagome argued.

Blinking in disbelief, he answered, "Of all the things that have ever exited that mouth…"

"You didn't answer my question!"

"Four hundred years ago."

Kagome seemed satisfied by this, and rested her head on her arm, ready to go to sleep.

Sesshoumaru continued to stare though, and this time, she was the one that could feel eyes on her. Opening them halfway, she challenged him to explain himself with one glance, but instead he remained still and intent, murdering her with his eyes as she stared blankly at him.

"If I got erections at inopportune times or groped you, you would never have said such a thing," he sulked.

She yawned and stretched out. "It's been like eleven years since anyone groped me. So, let's say I'm going to live to be sixty in this godforsaken era. The first eighteen only involved me being handled by Miroku, then Inuyasha for like five seconds, then nothing. That's pathetic. My life is like half over and all the good stuff…wasn't that good at all."

Sesshoumaru shrugged and thumped his head against the tree. "Go to sleep."

"Okay, okay."

With that, she finally relaxed and both went to sleep.

XXX

They were trudging along the next day, following a path to nowhere when Kagome slid off the dragon and caught up a few steps to match his pace. Her skin was crawling and it was something other than the fact she was wearing demonic armor. A presence tickled her senses, as if it was trying to not be detected in any way.

"I feel something. There's something really close to us."

As soon as Kagome said it, branches snapped less than four meters from them and the trees rustled as whatever it was moved quickly over then and then to the other side.

She ran back to Ah-Un and grabbed her bow, slinging the quiver over her back as Sesshoumaru's eyes darted around blindly. He could hear that _something_ was there with them, but couldn't see or smell what it was.

Right then, something fell from above them, invisible except for dirt it disturbed.

Kagome was going to fire at it with an arrow, but Sesshoumaru's expression told her that vaporizing their foe was a bad idea. Instead, he stuck his boot out to try and secure it for some sort of interrogation, only to have the bottom of his boot immediately cut through. Razor sharp spikes pierced his foot, and Sesshoumaru hopped backwards, hissing.

The ground started to stir up, as if the creature was trying to run away, but Sesshoumaru chased after, relying only on his sense of hearing.

Seeing him dart away, Kagome jumped on Ah-Un's back and held on tight. "Let's go after him!"

The chase lasted over an hour before Kagome even realized they were getting close to Sesshoumaru Ah-Un was fast, but Sesshoumaru was beyond that, and she knew he could leave her behind if he wanted. Sesshoumaru was being cautious to make sure she was present, although he wasn't sure if that was because he felt her presence might be necessary or if it was simply a courtesy to her.

Ah-Un suddenly roared and jerked strangely, leaping from the ground into the air. Unprepared, Kagome accidentally dropped her bow and watched it fall toward the forest below. They weren't following the scent path Sesshoumaru left as directed; they were headed to a spot up ahead where trees were thinning from the forest. Loud crashing sounds and bursts of energy echoed through the area, and as Kagome came into view, she saw what she was afraid might be waiting for her.

Naraku and Sesshoumaru were fighting. Near their battle there was a bloody spray and the body of some horrible-looking spiked youkai.

She hovered up there for a minute, a thousand old memories rushing back on her. Some things about Naraku were different though; he was faster, which was the worst. When he moved, he was hardly more than a streak of darkness. Naraku was also using a sword, which, as she stared down, was countering Sesshoumaru, and pushing him back.

Frustration contorted Sesshoumaru's face as Bakusaiga allowed his feet to slide across the ground.

As she watched, Naraku's duel with Sesshoumaru came to an abrupt end when a ball of darkness knocked Sesshoumaru to the ground and blinded Kagome for a few seconds. When her eyes finally readjusted after the attack, Naraku was approaching Sesshoumaru, who was covered in blood that could only be his.

Panic seized Kagome as he realized Naraku was going to kill the only ally she could really trust with her son's life. That was followed by recognition of the fact that the reason Inuyasha was dead was down there. While she was never one for vengeance, the thought of jumping down there and ripping him to pieces seemed like it might relieve her pain.

Naraku was talking to Sesshoumaru, taunting him, Kagome knew.

Sesshoumaru's sword was a few meters away, and he seemed to be hanging in a half-conscious state. He wasn't going to get up in time, she realized fearfully.

Defeating Naraku without Sesshoumaru would be impossible. Taking care of her son without Sesshoumaru would be nearly as hard. A fear she had never known in her life crawled down her spine as she considered that Naraku might target Kyo for vengeance.

The righteous fury of motherhood rose and Kagome imaged herself a mama bear. No matter what, she wouldn't let anything else bad happen to her son. Kyo already lost his father, and she couldn't make him face anymore death or pain.

Fumbling through Ah-Un's saddle bags, she pulled out the two daggers. They were the only weapons that might be helpful, since her bow was somewhere in the forest. Unsure of how to hold them properly, she just clenched the handles tightly and leaned forward to keep her balance on Ah-Un. The fact that what she was doing was incredibly cavalier and unlike herself made her heart race. She was still wearing her turtle shell though, so Kagome decided as long as she didn't land on her head, she would at least survive the dismount.

"Let's go! Drop me right on top of him. As close as you can get to him!"

High off adrenaline and steeled resolve, Kagome closed her eyes and gripped the daggers tightly, saying a prayer. Ah-Un flew low and fast, turning mid-air to throw Kagome off.

As she plummeted toward the ground, Kagome realized she was directly above Naraku. Her life flashed before her eyes; Naraku's did not.

Naraku sensed the dragon approaching, but was unaware that it had a rider. Kagome's aura was cancelled out by the demonic armor, meaning she was invisible to the senses demons relied on most. Secretly, this was Sesshoumaru's true purpose in having her put it on in the first place.

Naraku turned and raised his sword, ready to issue one last taunt before taking his revenge against Sesshoumaru, only to find Sesshoumaru's lip curled up on one side, in a victorious smirk.

Half a second later, Naraku felt pain he had rarely known as Kagome's fall ended. Daggers pierced each of his shoulders, and she was practically doing a handstand from them, still upright and upside down. Her legs instinctively bent to help her stay balanced, and she realized with a great sense of triumph that she had dealt serious damage to his body.

Naraku's sword hand involuntarily released the sword he had been holding, which hit the ground with a clang. Other than being disoriented and in extreme pain, Naraku was confused. He sensed nothing, yet something was causing him pain. Looking upward, his eyes met with the same eyes he saw when his body was destroyed inside the meidou so many years before.

The evil hanyou's mind filled with a thousand stray thoughts as he jerked forward and threw Kagome off of him. Since she was upside down, the force turned her upright and Kagome landed on her feet, the heavy armor stabilizing her.

Naraku dove for the sword, and Kagome's immediately followed, her leg extending quickly to kick it farther out of the way as she fell sideways and took another swipe at him. Daggers glowing with energy, they sliced through his flesh like a knife through butter, and when Naraku rolled to his feet, she lunged from the ground and mercilessly tore at him, heart beating too fast for her to really realize what she was doing.

Her powers swelled as she demanded more from them, and Kagome felt power and momentum she had never experienced in battle with a bow. The experience was strangely reminiscent of sex, every slash and each stab one stroke closer to completion. Her powers blazed like a fire inside of her, getting hotter as she neared some invisible peak.

Naraku's expression burned into her memory as he started to step back. Kagome knew if he got away, she would be denied the completion she craved, so knowing shoulder wounds more or less kept his arms out of the battle, she stabbed lower.

Naraku howled in pain when raw, unrestrained purification entered his body through one hip.

The gore and blood Kagome always feared in combat didn't even deter her. Her aura growing, it grated against Naraku's. It seemed fundamentally right to continue, as if some part of her was screaming '_This is your purpose.'_

Her peak came and she knew it was time to land the final blow. Kagome crossed her hands and slashed across Naraku's throat, and the blast that accompanied vaporized him, purifying him completely.

For a few minutes, Kagome replayed the past few minutes of her life back over and over in her mind. She felt empowered, yet shocked that she had actually been the heroic one.

Her heart was still racing and she felt high on victory and excitement.

Her head jerked around to Sesshoumaru, who was sitting up with his legs crossed. His haori was open, and his wound had been closed using his demonic power. Sesshoumaru was staring at her, his eyes glowing with respect and possibly a little amusement.

Sesshoumaru never expected Kagome to do anything like she had, and experiencing her awakening had been strangely rewarding. When her eyes met his with no less of that wild fury in them, Sesshoumaru waited apprehensively. Kagome looked like she was about to do something, but he wasn't entirely sure what. The simple proximity to her pure aura excited his own powers, and felt his own body start to demand action, feeding him with adrenaline and pumping blood through his veins faster.

Unfortunately for Sesshoumaru, Kagome wasn't sure what she was going to do either. All she knew was that her heart was pounding in her chest, every nerve in her body was alive, and she was panting, overwhelmed by excitement. She wanted more, and knew Sesshoumaru wouldn't kill her if she tried. Wonder and curiosity filled her as she considered how it would feel to face Sesshoumaru and his mighty aura.

Kagome lunged forward, still unsure of what she was going to do.

Sesshoumaru braced himself for pain, certain he was about to feel pain, but her attack came just as he heard the clang of metal and the dull thud of the daggers hitting the ground. Eyes more shocked by her attack than the one he expected, everything in him instinctively responded to the fact she was _taking_ something from him, without his permission. The act itself was less important than the fact that it had taken place, and he returned with bruising force.

There was something about having her there like that – dressed in armor that practically declared her his personal property, bathed in the blood of his enemy, fearlessness in her eyes, aura swirling wildly around her while the wind blew her hair.

Hands on each other's shoulders, their auras dueled until common sense made itself alarmingly present and they pushed themselves away simultaneously.

Gasping for air, he uncrossed his legs and Kagome slipped bottom-first onto the ground between them, legs still slung over his thighs.

"Next time, just stab me," he said.

Kagome touched her lips. "I just…I just kissed you."

Sesshoumaru stood and tied his haori up, then put his spiked chest plate back on. "Do you regret it?"

"Not really," she answered, still coming down from her high. "Do you?"

One eyebrow arched in reply, and the dragon landed on the ground between them. Kagome mounted Ah-Un, knowing Sesshoumaru wasn't going to answer her. His attention had shifted to the sword Naraku left behind on the ground. Despite the evil coming from it, Sesshoumaru bent over and picked it up, unafraid and uncontrolled by its aura.

Sesshoumaru unsheathed it and discovered it was a perfect twin to Bakusaiga, although the unreadable characters on both were different. The smell of the Meidou assaulted his nose when he sniffed the sheath, and he realized Bakusaiga evil sister sword had been thrown into the Meidou, where, coincidentally, Naraku was last seen. He suspected that Naraku was probably just the swords pawn to gain reentry to the world of the living, since Naraku was practically powerless without the Shikon no Tama.

Hoping the blade was the cause for all the strange happenings in Edo, Sesshoumaru safely tucked it away at his side and led Ah-Un toward a nearby river, since he knew Kagome would inevitably demand a bath when she finished calming down.


	6. Chapter 6

Sesshoumaru crossed his arms and waited for the apparition of his brother to digest information. Sometimes, Bakusaiga refused to be drawn, but Sesshoumaru had figured out that the few times it had, Kagome had been in some kind of danger. Whether it was intentional on Inuyasha's part or she was simply the thing that established a link between them, he did not know or care.

It had taken him an entire week to wander close enough to a demon that would attack them. This had finally happened, and Sesshoumaru made sure it took place far enough away from his sleeping companion that she wouldn't hear or learn about what was going on.

Inuyasha flopped down on the ground and crossed his arms. "I remember a little. Just a little. I remember asking…"

"I remember that quite clearly," Sesshoumaru said, cutting him off.

Inuyasha's head drooped. "Are they well? Safe at least?"

"Yes," Sesshoumaru curtly answered, not wanting to admit to Inuyasha that he was taking good care of his family. Somehow, it seemed to him that admitting such a thing would give depth to their relationship that he didn't want to deal with.

Truth be told, it was really the first true conversation they had ever had. Inuyasha couldn't leave and Sesshoumaru couldn't fight him, so they did the one thing that they avoided for over two centuries. Sesshoumaru didn't hate it as much as he expected he would, but he uncovered no useful knowledge. Inuyasha wasn't aware of anything, really, and only knew what happened when Bakusaiga expelled him.

When Inuyasha started to randomly pick at the grass, Sesshoumaru realized he could interact with the world, although no one else could see or hear him. Testing a theory, he kicked Inuyasha in the leg and confirmed that he could touch Inuyasha. Since their trip to Toutousai's, Sesshoumaru had wondered what kind of punishment having Inuyasha in the sword was, but now he understood. The idea was that if he ever killed his brother, his brother would come out of his sword and take his own vengeance.

If that happened, Sesshoumaru could only assume Inuyasha would be released, but considering the death took place under special circumstances and Inuyasha didn't seem interested in vengeance, the hanyou was basically a prisoner of their father's flawed design.

As long as the safety of Inuyasha's family rested on Sesshoumaru, there was no way Inuyasha would ever think about killing him.

Alerted to a noise nearby, Sesshoumaru started to put Bakusaiga away, only to have his hand stopped.

"Look after them."

"Hn."

Inuyasha vanished as the sword slid home, and he slowly made his way back to their camp.

Sitting next to a tree, he leaned his head back and waited for the incessant babbling that refused to come. It had been a week since Kagome had kissed him, and she wasn't taking it well. She was extremely quiet and withdrawn, refusing to even look directly at him. Her behavior was an absolute contrast to the fearlessness she had for a few minutes after her kill.

It was something Sesshoumaru excused easily. Intense and needy, her kiss had been a unique and strange experience, but it was something he could just leave in the past. He didn't really regret the experience, although he didn't want it to happen again.

One week of watching her agonize and cry made him wonder if she was even the same person as the one who kissed him.

"Sesshoumaru?"

Kagome rolled over to face him, tears streaming down her face. "I think we shouldn't travel together anymore. Maybe we can go back now, to wherever Kyo is, and you and Kyo can travel together some and he can be with me some."

"Why?" he asked.

"Before that time, Inuyasha had been the only man I had kissed, the only man to hold me. I can't betray him like this," she explained.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "It is your choice."

"I'm sorry. Thank you for everything. You're a nice guy," she said.

Sesshoumaru stared at her rather blankly for awhile, wondering why she had called him 'nice.' In all his years, no one had used that word for him. He never thought of himself as being that way, and tended to think quite the opposite. Rude, aloof, and apathetic hardly painted a picture of nice. Kagome was a strange creature though, and saw things that others didn't. She was also somewhat blind to many things she simply didn't wish to acknowledge, preferring to see the best in everyone.

"Do you wish to be alone for the duration of your life?" he curiously asked.

Kagome seemed mildly frightened by the question. "I hadn't thought of it like that before."

Rolling onto her back to stare up at the stars peeking through the branches above them, Kagome sighed and wiped her face. "I fell in love with Inuyasha the first moment I saw him. I knew when I was fifteen years old that he was the only man I ever wanted to be with. I never thought he would die before me. I don't want to betray him, but I don't want to be alone. I mean, I have Kyo, so I won't ever be alone, but it's different, having a life mate and then not."

"I fail to understand why you lament the end of a bad mating. If anything, you are now free to find a mate that doesn't make you miserable," Sesshoumaru answered.

"You have no idea what it's like to be in love with someone, do you?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru snorted and answered, "What do you think?"

It occurred to him at that moment that if Kagome mated a strong youkai, a number of his problems would be solved. It would no longer be his job to protect her, and if she found the right youkai, even Kyo's training could be taken up by her second mate. The burden would be someone else's to carry, and mating a full-blooded youkai would elongate her life and give her the chance to give Kyo that sibling she wanted to before Inuyasha's death. Kagome mating again was really the best solution to everyone's problems.

XXX

When Kagome woke up the next morning, Sesshoumaru was nowhere in sight, but breakfast was being prepared in a small pan over the fire. One of Sesshoumaru's captains, Gin, dumped the contents of the pan onto two small dishes and smiled at her.

"Good morning. Sesshoumaru-sama asked me to accompany you to the fortress while he investigates his new sword acquisition," he said.

Kagome rubbed her eyes, remembering the creepy sword he picked up from the battlefield and nodded. "He just left in the middle of the night? What a jerk."

Gin relaxed when she called Sesshoumaru a jerk and said, "Sesshoumaru is known for his rudeness as much as he is known for his prowess on the battlefield. He was like that even when he was very young."

He handed her the plate. "Be careful, it's hot."

"Yes…as things usually are, when they're done cooking," Kagome answered.

Blushing furiously, the youkai looked away and Kagome felt immediately guilty. "Sorry, that was rude. I think I've been spending too much time with Sesshoumaru."

Gin smiled again and shrugged.

His face turned sour for a split second, and Kagome worried she had angered him by being rude.

Really, Gin was mulling over his disgust with himself. Gin had wanted to advance within the guard for decades, but the opportunity never offered itself. When Sesshoumaru came to him the night before he made an offer to Gin and Gin accepted it. If he mated Kagome, Sesshoumaru would give him the position he wanted.

Sesshoumaru practically advertised Kagome to him, telling him she had no problems with demon blood, that she was a nurturer, a lover, and a good mother. It was the only reason Gin was even interested, yet at the same time, it made him hesitate. Career advancement was a poor reason to have a relationship with someone, but that one last promotion was what he'd wanted for so long.

Smiling quickly, Gin changed the subject. "Kyo has been staying with my brother Kin and I at the fortress. He's a good kid. Very respectful. Hard to believe he's related to Sesshoumaru or Inuyasha."

Kagome beamed at the compliment to her son. "I'm so proud of him. Is he behaving himself?"

"Always. He's been a big hit with the younger females," Gin answered.

Kagome found this strange because in their human village, Kyo had always been excluded somewhat from the cutesy flirting among the village children. She knew it was because of his demon blood, but knowing he was able to have that experience around youkai reinforced the idea that they made the right decision by going with Sesshoumaru.

"Kyo is very talented. Even though he's been training for so little time, and he doesn't have much demon blood, he is able to defeat pure blood males who have been training for years. If he keeps with it, he'll be like Sesshoumaru someday," Gin explained.

When horror flashed in her eyes, he added, "In a good way."

After their breakfast, Kagome instinctively looked around for Ah-Un, only to find Sesshoumaru had taken the dragon with him. Gin quickly knelt on the ground and offered her a ride, and she graciously accepted, holding onto him.

The first thing she noticed when Gin took off running was that it was a lot harder to hold onto him inside of her armored shell. When riding on Inuyasha's back, her legs helped her stay on him, but the armor slipped against something hard and equally slippery under Gin's white cloak, which she could only assume was armor that likely matched hers.

Pulling herself closer to him, Kagome found her face by his neck, and she realized he had the same wild, woodsy smell about him that Kyo did after running wild with Sesshoumaru.

Kagome closed her eyes, and for a few minutes, she was fifteen again, wind blowing in her hair as she rode Inuyasha's back. Then she opened her eyes and she was with a total stranger again, just wishing the familiarity of her first love or her home was close. The only thing she had waiting ahead that was close to her heart was her son.

"Eeep!" she squeaked when her carrier suddenly leapt upward.

When she opened her eyes, Gin was swiftly leaping up the side of a mountain that had seemingly had an unfortunately run-in with a member of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's clan at some point in the past. The entire top of the mountain was gone, and it came to a flat top where water poured down the sides and down the rest of the mountain.

It wasn't at all what Kagome expected. "This is…a fortress?"

"Yes. Mighty, isn't it?" Gin answered.

Scattered stone buildings and gardens were all that could be seen other than signs pointing to 'Training Grounds.' Thick green grass greeted Kagome's feet when she slid off Gin's back and she looked around in confusion.

Gin led her down the path to the training grounds and said, "The real fortress is actually underground. There's a massive underground structure inside of this mountain with all kinds of secret rooms and hidden escape routes. I can show you sometime."

"Thank you," Kagome politely replied.

"I have a question. When I knew Sesshoumaru before, years ago, he seemed to do everything on his own. I would never have guessed he had any sort of army at his disposal. Were you guys involved with Naraku at all?" Kagome asked.

Gin had a slightly stressed look about him. "When the Inu No Taisho passed on, instructions were passed on to us to follow his mother's orders until she said otherwise. After Naraku's death, control was finally given to Sesshoumaru. He had to prove himself before he inherited anything."

They approached a metal structure made of thin rods, where Kyo stood balanced on a strip of metal no wider than his thumb. He had a staff in one hand, and was sparring with a number of younger demons. At the top level, he knocked several off who tried to get near him.

"Wow, look at my son," Kagome said.

Gin nodded. "He's good."

Kyo's head suddenly jerked to look at them, and eager to end the game, he twisted and knocked all the other kids off the structure and flipped off, landing easily on his feet. Without another thought, he ran to his mother and bowed politely before his face contorted in confusion.

"Mom, is that you?" he asked.

Kagome nodded. "Kyo?"

Kyo wondered if she knew how weird it was to see his priestess mother decked out fully in youkai armor. They had hardly been apart, but Kagome seemed to have changed a little. "I can't smell you because of the armor. It just threw me off a little, that's all."

Kagome and Kyo walked the grounds with Gin until Gin was called away, and then continued alone until lunch time. He showed her to one of the larger buildings visible and they entered to find a dining hall.

When they both had bowls of rice with meat on top, Kagome felt a strangely familiar rush of lunchroom anxiety as they considered their seating options. None of the tables were unoccupied, so she tried to decide whose party they had to crash. She saw Ren, the demon whose armor she was wearing, about the same time Kyo did. She was sitting at a table across from Sesshoumaru sipping tea and reading a scroll.

"Will you hold this please?" Kyo asked as he handed his bowl to her.

Kagome took it without question only to feel one of the daggers pulled from her side. Kyo hurled it at Ren.

"Kyo! What are you doing?!" she shrieked.

Ren caught it and spun it between her fingers, never looking up from her scroll. "Maybe in a hundred years, Puppy."

Kagome immediately rushed to the table and started apologizing profusely, which finally made Sesshoumaru look up and stare at her like she'd grown a third arm right in the middle of her forehead.

"Nice try, Kyo," Sesshoumaru said. "Your mother would be less alarmed if she knew Ren stabbed you first."

Eyes bugging out of her head, Kagome asked, "How exactly would knowing my son got stabbed make me feel better?"

"Sorry, my mother is a human. The idea of me bleeding upsets her," Kyo said as he plopped down next to Ren.

Kagome settled down next to Sesshoumaru and started to eat, eyeing him suspiciously now and then. Considering that he supposedly left her to investigate his new sword, it didn't make any sense that he only went to the exact place Gin brought her to. Sesshoumaru was not an inefficient person, meaning there was a reason they hadn't traveled together.

Directly beside her, Sesshoumaru wondered if Kagome had taken the bait at all where Gin was concerned. Unloading Kagome and Kyo would drastically reduce his obligations and free him up to operate as he normally would. He knew she was the kind of girl that fell in love fast, so he hoped to have her mated off soon.

"Kyo has been staying with Gin and Kin. I trust they will accommodate you also," Sesshoumaru said to Kagome.

Kagome decided at that point that Sesshoumaru was struggling with some sort of aftermath from their kiss and was trying to push her away. To her, it was the only thing that made sense, since he was distancing himself from her. She felt both flattered and devastated by this, as if it somehow made her a bad person.

"I am going scouting with Ren later. You should come, Mama," Kyo said.

Eager to spend time with her son, Kagome asked, "Oh, that sounds like fun."

Sesshoumaru realized he was scheming away Ren's position and that she might throw a monkey wrench into things if she figured it out. Knowing females talked too much, too often, he made the decision to keep them separate.

"It is time to give the armor back. I don't want anyone outside the fortress grounds without it. You will have to stay in," Sesshoumaru said.

Ren's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I gained a new set. Koichi no longer needed his, considering his untimely death. The armory is finished with it. I only need to pick it up. Scouting would benefit her anyway."

When Kagome and Kyo were done eating, they turned their dishes in and left to go see Sango and Miroku, who were temporarily staying there since the destruction of their Edo village. This left Sesshoumaru and Ren at the table, and after a few minutes of silence and tension, Ren finally looked up from her scroll.

"Something happened between you two," she said.

Sesshoumaru answered. "It is not something you should concern yourself with."

"And now, you want her out of your hair and the one captain you have who is rumored to knock heels with humans is suddenly housing her and looking after her. I would ask myself what is in it for Gin, but there is only one thing Gin wants and that is my position," Ren said.

Drumming his fingers on the table, he said, "You will say nothing. That is an order."

Ren waved him off. "I'll keep my hand out of the beehive. You stick both yours in and get stung."


	7. Chapter 7

Sesshoumaru sat in a quiet corner of the fortress grounds, two swords laid out on the grass. By thinking of Kagome, Bakusaiga came free easily and without an attacking demon, so for the first time, he was looking at both blades with his brother's ghost looking on curiously.

He didn't know what the name of the other blade was, or even if it had another name. Based on Toutousai's warning, the timing, and the fact it was exactly like Bakusaiga in appearance, he knew this had to be the dark half.

Like Bakusaiga, the blade had a number of unreadable characters on it. Considering that no one seemed to know anything about either sword, those words were the only real clues that existed and they were completely illegible.

"When you go inside of Bakusaiga, what is there?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I think I'm not actually going inside of the sword. I'm going to a place. It's strange."

"What is there?"

"Not a lot that I've found, but I have run into other things that make me think that Naraku was involved with darker stuff before and we didn't know about it. You know he cursed the monk with some ancient dark magic that made the wind tunnel. Where I go, there are Saimyosho nests and I've met demons he sucked into his wind tunnel," Inuyasha explained.

Sesshoumaru listened to Inuyasha's description of the strange world he went to and had little to say other than, "Huh."

Inuyasha continued, saying, "How does a person go from being a piece of shit thief to being what Naraku was? He gained access to some sort of very dark magic, and that must have been what he used against me."

Inuyasha's thoughts started a process in Sesshoumaru's mind, and the taiyoukai tried to come to some sort of understanding as to when Naraku went from being a thief to being an epic villain. If there was some sort of dark source behind Naraku's powers, they played the game so well not even Sesshoumaru had been clued in to something being behind Naraku. The demon puppets, the wind tunnel, the addition and subtraction of incarnations, and Naraku's barriers were not small time sorcery.

"Onigumo's associates will all be dead by now if he was running only with human criminals," Sesshoumaru said.

Sesshoumaru knew Onigumo was thrown off a cliff in Edo after his attempted murder, which meant he was probably a criminal local to that area. If any of his guards would have a first-hand account of his thievery ring, they would have been the ones that patrolled Edo, which massacred each other so recently.

Sesshoumaru sheathed the sword when they were done talking and entered the massive underground complex inside of the mountain. Navigating familiar pathways and climbing down staircases, he eventually came to a huge room that was several stories tall inside and made up completely of scrolls and string-bound books.

Inside was the most complete and in-depth history of Japan that had ever existed. Everything was documented, going back for centuries. As a teenager, he found an ancient scroll that detailed the discovery of peculiar new mortal creature with the ability to speak and learn. The rise of humanity was recorded, every accomplishment and failure present.

When he realized how monumental of a task he had ahead of him, he enlisted a few trustworthy people to assist him in digging up information in the mountain of information related to the decade before Naraku's 'birth.'

A full twelve hours later, Sango, Miroku, Rin, Kohaku, Kagome, Kin, Gin, Ren, Kyo, and Sesshoumaru were all picking through the papers and scrolls, looking for any information about Onigumo. Considering that they didn't even know his family name, the task was monstrous.

Rin, now an adult, came to a point where the stack of papers she was supposed to scan through actually blocked her from seeing across the table where they were all sitting, and protested. "I think it's bad for pregnant women to be…bored."

"Is that bad for the baby?" Kohaku asked in panic.

"It would be unfortunate if she died from boredom before the baby came," Kagome answered in agreement.

Sango and Miroku chimed in with their own words, and Sesshoumaru glared down the table and realized with much amusement that the humans were on one end of the table, and the demons were on the other. Kyo was right between the two.

"It does not surprise me that the human half of this table is complaining," he said.

Everyone suddenly noticed the layout of the table and Kyo suddenly felt very embarrassed. "I only sat here so I can catch Ren-sama off guard."

"I don't get your obsession with attacking her. She's an adult, you should be more respect, Kyo," Miroku said, ready to lecture the boy.

Kyo slammed his palms down and said, "It's personal!"

"Be quiet and go back to work," Sesshoumaru ordered.

Kagome went back to her pile of scrolls and was thumbing over a list of thieves suspected in the kidnapping of a warlord's daughter when her finger slipped over the magic word. She screamed a little and jumped up, slapping at the scroll.

"I have something! Hayashi Onigumo. Someone broke into a warlord's house and stole a bunch of items, and then took his daughter. His is the only name listed. It says next to his name that he and a pack of thieves stayed in the warlord's area for almost a month, supposedly planning it. The name they used at the inn where they stayed was Hayashi Onigumo. The only reason this was even reported was they skipped out on their bill," Kagome said.

Kin got up and went to a shelf and took a long scroll. "The Hayashi clan is pure trash. They run a whore house in my area, which is just north of where this Onigumo was last seen alive. Thievery is a popular career choice for the sons of whores."

"It could be a different Onigumo. We need to find something that says we've found the right one," Miroku said.

More curious than some of the others, Kagome walked to the other side of the table and sat in the tiny space between Kin and Gin, scooting closer to Gin since she knew him better. Gin blushed immediately, but Kagome was busy looking at Kin's book.

Kagome flipped the page for him and read a series of names, fingers thumbing over the page of a clan's history. "There's a name on this page that's been marked out, like it brought too much shame even to this family. What can a person do that's so bad his prostitute family is ashamed?"

Kin pointed to one name and said, "This one is marked as a mass murder, and the only thing I can think of that shames a family more than that is extreme sexual deviance. Any sexual deviants linked to your Onigumo?"

Kagome flipped the page over and tore it free from the string bindings to hold it up to the lamp. Under the ink blot, the imprint of the original writing was still readable. "It says Hayashi Jakotsu. Jakotsu is Onigumo's nephew. Cousin. Something. I don't know how to read these."

"Nephew," Gin said, leaning in toward her to read the page.

"That links Onigumo to the Shichinintai, but they were assassins, not thieves," Sesshoumaru answered.

Sango thought for awhile and said, "They were very supernaturally powered though, and we don't know where they got their powers. Inuyasha said Jakotsu told him he and Bankotsu were like the founding members. Maybe Naraku gave them whatever they got a boost from."

"The Shichinintai consumed demon flesh. They primarily worked in my territory, assassinating minor lords, decimating armies. Humans that eat demon flesh get a certain scent about them. It was unmistakable on them," Ren said.

Sesshoumaru started to write on a blank piece of bamboo paper, trying to piece together pieces of information.

The fact that humans were mortal was far too inconvenient. It was as if the entire human world that existed when Onigumo did was gone. All that was left was the paper trail that proved they existed in the first place.

There was a huge gap in the information they had, and he was starting to feel discouraged that they would find it at all.

_Onigumo-?-Naraku_

He continued scribbling down details about what they knew, but the critical link was somewhere between Onigumo and Naraku.

After another hour, Rin rubbed her belly. "I think I'm going into labor."

"Women who go into labor do so because their body secretes a chemical half of the people in this room would smell," Sesshoumaru said as she let out a dejected sigh. "Go rest."

Kagome tapped her fingers on the table and groaned. "So all I have to do to get out of here is get pregnant?"

She looked up to find everyone staring at her strangely, including her son.

Kyo too sighed sadly and turned back to the papers.

Gin leaned over and whispered in Kagome's ear, "I think I can help you out with that."

Sesshoumaru suddenly heard a strange noise and turned to see Kyo had knocked Gin over and punched him in the face. Inuyasha's son had gotten along very well with Gin and Kin up until that moment, but Kyo looked absolutely irate at Gin for his comment.

"You don't talk to my mother that way!" he shouted.

Kagome stepped over Gin. "Calm down. Everything is okay."

Expression darkening, Kyo said, "If my father was alive. He'd kill you. We won't be staying with you anymore. Sesshoumaru-sama wouldn't want my mother to be disrespected either, would you?"

Miroku moved in with his trademark suave and tried to talk the situation down, but Kyo was angry that he'd just heard a man he trusted imply he'd fuck his mother in a room full of people that could hear.

Sesshoumaru just leaned forward to rest his head on his hands, wondering how the situation had blown up so quickly. Kyo was incredibly upset about what had happened, and Sesshoumaru wasn't sure if that was because of what had been said or what was said implied his mother would be moving on to someone else. He hadn't considered how a new mate for Kagome would affect Kyo, and listening to the chaos that disrupted the afternoon, he realized it was a critical detail.

The situation deteriorated further when Kagome continued to try to calm Kyo down.

"It's not a big deal. It was just a joke," Kagome said.

Kyo bit back with, "Do you like what he said? Is that what you want? Dad's only been dead for four months! You know how he would feel about this!"

"I would never disrespect your mother. I have the purest of intentions where she is concerned," Gin said.

A strange truth came to Kyo at that moment, and he digested some critical information that his senses provided to him. "You are lying. I can _smell_ it!"

Ren stood and grabbed him by the collar. "I'm going to take puppy for a walk. You all stay here and have awkward conversation."

Kagome started to go after them, but Sango stopped her. "You should stay until he calms down."

"You can all go. We'll start to work tomorrow," Sesshoumaru said.

Everyone left except Kagome, Gin, and Sesshoumaru, who pretended to focus on the work at hand while Kagome tore into him about Kyo's unexpected detection of his less-than-pure intentions. Gin never said a word about the deal, but the damage was done and there was no way Kagome would ever trust him or even try to with Kyo so angry. At that point, Gin's refusal to talk about how duplicitous his intentions actually were only protected Sesshoumaru.

After profuse apologies and a promise to make alternate lodging accommodations for Kagome and Kyo, Gin walked out and left Kagome and Sesshoumaru alone. Kagome promptly sat down at the desk and started bawling her eyes out.

Sesshoumaru worked until the papers that served as a wall between them shrunk to the point that he could see her, and found his handiwork was ugly. She was resting her head on the table, a numb look in her eyes.

"I'm a traitor," she whispered.


End file.
